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The Middle East
UN Report Confirms ‘Large Scale’ Sarin Attack in Syria
By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
DAMASCUS, Syria – A team of United Nations chemical experts, led by Dr. Åke Sellström, has reported that there is “clear and convincing” evidence that sarin gas was used on a “large scale” during a 21 August incident outside of Damascus. The attack, which employed rockets equipped with sarin gas, killed many civilians including children.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke to the media after briefing the Security Council on the team’s findings. Ban referred to the report as “chilling read” and stressed the significance of attack, the first of its kind “since Saddam Hussein used [chemical weapons] in Halabja in 1988.”
“This is a war crime,” the Secretary-General said, “The international community has a responsibility to hold the perpetrators accountable and to ensure that chemical weapons never re-emerge as an instrument of warfare.”
The purpose of the report was strictly to determine whether a chemical weapons attack occurred, not to assign blame for the attack. Ban told reporters that whether responsibility for the attack is determined is “for others to decide”, but stressed that whoever was responsible should be brought to justice.
The inspectors interviewed more than fifty survivors, many of whom reported suffering from telltale signs of exposure to sarin gas. Symptoms of the survivors often included difficulty breathing, eye irritation, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. First-responders reported suffering from similar symptoms and observed that a large number of people were either unconscious or deceased upon arrival.
In addition to personal accounts of the incident, the chemical weapons team discovered a great deal of physical evidence that supported the existence of a chemical weapons attack. Eighty-five percent of blood samples taken from survivors tested positive for sarin or sarin indicators. The majority of rocket fragments and environmental samples tested positive for sarin or sarin indicators as well.
The report concluded that the attack occurred during the “early morning hours of 21 August.” Based on weather reports during this time, the conditions were favorable for maximizing the effect of sarin gas. The temperature on the ground was falling and would have created a downward draft of air, effectively preventing the gas from dispersing upwards, and therefore increasing exposure.
“The downward movement of air would have allowed the gas to easily penetrate the basements and lower levels of buildings and other structures where many people were seeking shelter,” Ban said, referring to the report.
The opposition and the Assad regime continue to blame each other for the attack. Certain details, including the high quality of sarin gas and the advanced rockets used, point to the Assad regime. However, Assad maintains the rebels are responsible in an effort to encourage Western military involvement.
For further information, please see:
Al Jazeera – UN: Evidence of Syrian chemical attack ‘indisputable’ – 16 September 2013
BBC – Syria Crisis: UN report confirms sarin ‘war crime’ – 16 September 2013
NBC – UN report confirms chemical weapons use in Syria – 16 September 2013
UN News Service – ‘Clear and convincing’ evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria, UN team reports – 16 September 2013
UN – United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic – 13 September 2013
Yemen’s Minister for Human Rights Calls for an End to Child Marriages
By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East
SANA’A, Yemen – Yemen’s Minister for Human Rights, Huriya Mashhoor has called for child marriages to be outlawed in the country. She is attempting to revive a 2009 bill that would have set the minimum marriage age at 17; she is aiming to raise this age to 18. The 2009 bill was passed by Yemen’s parliament. However, conservative parliamentarians argued the bill violated Islamic law, which does not specify a minimum age of marriage. As a result of their protests, the bill was signed, but never entered into law. Yemini law still maintains an ambiguous definition of a “child”, which makes it difficult to set a minimum age requirement for marriages.
Mashhoor’s call for marriage reform was a direct response to the reported death of eight-year-old Rawan, who died last week on her wedding night of internal bleeding caused by sexual intercourse. The eight-year-old girl had been married-off to a man in his 40s.
“This isn’t the first time a child marriage has happened in Yemen, so we should not focus only on this case,” Mashhoor said of the incident. “Many child marriages take place every year in Yemen. It’s time to end this practice.” Mashhoor said that she personally spoke to the human rights coordinator for the ministry in Haradh, where the incident took place, and he informed her that nearly everyone he spoke to is denying that Rawan’s death was caused by intercourse. According to one resident of the area, “No one is talking about this story because it’s an embarrassment, but this is what poverty can do to people.”
According to the United Nations, about half of Yemen’s 24 million people lack sufficient food and access to safe water. Child marriages are common amongst poor families in Yemen. Impoverished families often marry-off under-aged girls in order to bring in extra income from the dowry of the under-aged girl. Marriage is often seen as a way to save on the cost of raising their daughters.
The international community has called for marriage reform in Yemen in response to Rawan’s death as well as other reported cases of child marriages in the country, including allegations made by an 11-year-old Yemeni girl named Nada Al-Ahdal in a video posted to YouTube, accusing her parents of attempting to marry her off for money. The video was viewed by millions of people around the world and has raised awareness about the ongoing problem of child marriages in Yemen.
Catherine Ashton, Foreign Policy Chief for the European Union urged Yemini authorities to investigate Rawan’s death “without delay, and to prosecute all those responsible for this crime.”
According to Human Rights Watch, “the current political transition and drafting process for a new constitution offer a unique opportunity for the Yemeni government to enact laws protecting the rights of girls.” Mashhoor’s calls for change may demonstrate the potential for reform offered by the transition process.
For more information please see:
BBC News – Yemeni Minister Seeks Law to End Child Marriage – 13 September 2013
Al Jazeera – Yemeni Minister to Seek Child-Marriage Ban – 14 September 2013
Associated Free Press – Yemen Rights Minister Wants Child Bride Ban – 14 September 2013
CNN International – Yemen Minister on Child Marriage: Enough Is Enough – 16 September 2013
The UN Security Council to Act if Syria Fails in Compliance
By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
DAMASCUS, Syria-Following a breakthrough agreement between the U.S. and Russia to ultimately strip Syria of its chemical weapons, an enforceable resolution has been put to the United Nations Security Council.
Under the agreement, Syria must provide a “full catalog of its chemical arsenal within a week and allow United Nations inspectors to start working no later than November.” If Syria fails in complying, the UN Security Council will take affirmative action.
While it is unclear what steps the UN Security Council will take, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that it was agreed that there will be no “use-of-force trigger” in the resolution. However, Kerry further went on to say, “The President of the United States always retains the right to defend the United States of America and our interests.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated, “There is nothing said about the use of force and not about any automatic sanctions.”
A UN spokesperson said there are ways to establish the “Chapter 7” resolution with a compromise on the use of force. “Some use the explicit language that allows for the use of military force…others refer to the possibility that the use of force may be invoked if there is non-compliance within the text of the resolution.”
The deal was welcomed and supported by Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General. He stated that he “hoped that would not just prevent further chemical use in Syria but help pave the path for a political solution to stop the appalling suffering inflicted on the Syrian people.”
On Saturday, the UN said that all necessary documents for Syria to join the chemical weapons convention had been received and that Syria will become part of the treaty on October 14th.
“The Convention will enter into force for the Syrian Arab Republic on the 30th day following the date of deposit of this instrument of accession, namely on 14 October 2013,” stated the U.N press office.
Monday will see the revealing of the UN report on the deadly chemical-weapons attack that occurred last month in Syria. The report will be presented to Ban Ki-moon by chief inspector Ake Sellstrom, and it has been quoted to be “overwhelming in showing that chemical weapons were used.
A Security Council permanent-member diplomat said, “If the report points to accountability by the Assad government, there may be more discussion of a referral to the International Criminal Court.”
As plans regarding action to be taken in Syria continue to unfold, Kerry and Lavrov will again meet at the UN General Assembly later this month while President Obama is set to address the assembly on September 24.
Despite the cooperation and progress that has been made, international responses have still been guarded. Many Western nations are wary of Assad and are all too familiar with the frustrated attempt of UN weapons inspectors dealing with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, along with the difficulties of disassembling Syria’s chemical weapons during a civil war.
For more information, please see the following:
Reuters-Assad’s forces on attack after U.S.-Russia arms deal-September 15, 2013
Aljazeera-US and Russia agree on ‘framework’ to remove Syrian chemical weapons-September 14, 2013
CBS News-Syrian chemical weapons agreement bound for United Nations Security Council-September 14, 2013
NBC News-US, Russia reach deal on Syria’s chemical weapons-September 14, 2013
United States and Russia Reach Syria Chemical Weapons Agreement
By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
DAMASCUS, Syria – The United States and Russia have announced an agreement designed to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons supplies by mid-2014. Syria has been given one week to provide a list of its full chemical weapons stockpiles and must allow for United Nations chemical weapons inspections immediately.
If Syria fails to uphold the agreement, it may be enforced by a UN resolution under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter which allows for sanctions and military intervention. There is currently no such resolution in place, but President Obama reiterated his position that “if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry provided a six point outline of the plan:
- The amount and type of chemical weapons must be agreed upon and “rapidly” placed under international control
- Syria must submit within one week a comprehensive listing of its stockpiles
- Extraordinary procedures under the Chemical Weapons Convention will allow “expeditious destruction”
- Syria must give inspectors “immediate, unfettered access” to all sites
- All chemical weapons must be destroyed, including the possibility of removing weapons from Syrian territory
- The U.N. will provide logistical support, and compliance may be enforced under Chapter VII
“Providing this framework is fully implemented it can end the threat these weapons pose not only to the Syrian people but also to their neighbours,” Kerry said. “Because of the threat of proliferation this framework can provide greater protection and security to the world.
“The world will now expect Assad’s regime to live up to its commitments… There can be no room for games. Or anything less than full compliance.”
Not unexpectedly, General Salim Idris of the Free Syrian Army heavily criticized the agreement.
“We cannot accept any part of this initiative,” he said. “The FSA will work towards toppling Assad and does not care about US-Russia deals. I and my brothers in arms will continue to fight until the regime falls.”
He added that the FSA was “frustrated, and feels betrayed by the international community. It has no faith the UN will ever support it”.
For further information, please see:
Al Jazeera – Syria given week to declare chemical weapons – 14 September 2013
BBC – US and Russia agree Syria chemical weapons deal – 14 September 2013
Reuters – U.S., Russia agree on Syria weapons, Obama says force still option – 14 September 2013
Washington Post – U.S., Russia reach agreement on seizure of Syrian chemical weapons arsenal – 14 September 2013